A contemporary anarcho-socialist woman

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jail

New York City has a real subtle way of expressing its feelings towards its public housing inhabitants:

This snapshot was taken at a Brooklyn public housing development. Though it looks like it, the word “jail” and the jail details are not the work of a clever and/or mean-spirited sticker-er, but actually are printed directly onto the playground material, i.e. came that way from the manufacturer. I.e. these items were deliberated ordered, were received, and were erected all by people who knew they were ordering a play jail for the children of color that live in this public housing development in a part of town where police harassment is common, and police murder of locals (of color) not unheard of.

Who can name all of the things wrong with this scenario?

TRICK QUESTION! It’s impossible because there are infinity number of things wrong with it.

NYCHA (NYC Housing Authority): Just getting them poor kids of color ready for their place in society.

Politicians in Boulder are tired of looking at poor and homeless people. They came up with a new and innovative solution: make homelessness illegal! You can now get a $100 ticket for not having a roof over your head when you go to sleep. And, who would’ve guessed, since homeless people are homeless because they don’t have any money, they’re going to jail for not paying their fines!

To use an example from Miami, a federal court struck down a city ordinance nearly identical to Boulder’s as far back as 1992, holding that “[Miami’s] practice of arresting homeless individuals for performing essential, life-sustaining acts in public” violated the homeless plaintiffs’ rights to travel, and due process under the 14th Amendment, and right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment.